Dear Students, Parents, Alumni, Friends, and Visitors,
On June 10, 1957, UGA’s Commencement address was delivered by a U.S. Senator who, in a few short years, would be sworn-in as President. John F. Kennedy’s speech to graduating seniors was a full-throated call to public service, and also, to politics. Astutely, he understood that “politics” might elicit some frowns in the audience. “Mothers may still want their favorite sons to grow up to be President,” Kennedy declared, “but, according to a famous Gallup poll…73% do not want them to become politicians in the process.” My guess is: the audience laughed.
We are less sheepish about teaching politics today than our predecessors were in 1957. Consider our Professional Certificate in Public Affairs. It is expertly co-led by Professors Audrey Haynes in the Department of Political Science and Joe Watson in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. This certificate is a training ground for students interested in careers in electoral politics. Graduates work for political consulting firms, on campaigns, and alumni of the program run for and win elected office.
SPIA trains future political leaders. It also prepares professionals who never run for office, but nevertheless, are impactful public figures. Graduates include a chief fiscal officer who helped assure the highest credit rating for a major Arizona city. A SPIA alumna has been serving as the top import/export official in the Biden-Harris Administration. Another alumna made sure Tennessee’s Covid-19 vaccine roll-out ran smoothly. And hundreds of our PhD graduates are teaching the next generation of public servants.
With so much attention to politics and public service, Senator Kennedy’s commencement address could have been mistaken for a speech just meant for SPIA students. But of course, SPIA didn’t exist in 1957. What did exist at that time were outstanding students interested in government and public service. Some things never change. And thank goodness for that.
If you’re already part of the SPIA community: we are gratified. If you’re on the outside looking in: the links on this site tell our story. We hope you will visit us virtually, and in-person.
Cordially,
Matthew R. Auer
Dean and Arch Professor of Public and International Affairs
